The present invention relates to an apparatus for mounting caps onto fluid containers. In particular, the present invention relates to a device for mounting a cap in a particular predetermined orientation relative to a fluid container.
Apparata which mount caps onto fluid containers, such as containers for liquids, in general are well known. However, in several industries, for example, the bottled water industry, it has become popular to provide bottled water in a container which will also act as a dispenser, in a household refrigerator. To provide the simplest type of container which will also work as a dispenser, rectangular containers are provided with caps which feature openable and closeable spouts. With such a container set on a side and the spout open, the fluid can leave the container simply propelled by the force of gravity. Accordingly, such containers must be rectangular in cross-section, or at least not round, so that they will not roll about when they are laid on their side.
In order to function properly as a dispenser, the cap and spout must be placed on the container in a particular orientation. Specifically, since the cap, with integral spout, will likely be configured to permit flow from the cap in only one radial direction from the cap, the cap must be placed on the container with the opening pointing downward, when the container is laid on one side. In addition, since the fluid containers are often not substantially square, but may be rectangular with, for example, a neck and opening at one end of the top of the container, and with a handle or other feature at the other end of the top of the container, the container must therefore be set on a particular side in order to function as a dispenser. For this reason also, it is necessary that the cap be properly aligned when it is mounted onto the container, or failing that, adjusted by hand after mounting.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a means for mounting the cap onto the fluid container already in the desired orientation for the following additional reasons. Firstly, to align the cap either manually or with other apparatus, after mounting, would tend to slow the operation of the bottling line. In addition, to the extent that the product which is being placed in the containers is a food product or other product which must be delivered to the consumer in a sealed condition, typically the containers are sealed while or immediately after the caps mounted. Accordingly, to either attempt to align the caps after sealing, which might break the seal, or introduce an additional step in the capping process for alignment after mounting of the caps, would prove difficult, costly, and time consuming.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for mounting caps onto fluid containers, in such a manner that the caps are mounted onto the fluid containers in a previously determined particular desired orientation relative to the fluid container.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for aligning caps for fluid containers into a particular pre-determined orientation relative to the fluid containers, prior to the mounting of the caps onto the fluid containers.
An example of a capping apparatus is shown in Choi, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/590,161, filed Sep. 28, 1991. In that application, caps are withdrawn from a hopper, in random relative rotational orientation. Each of the caps has an asymmetrical lower surface. The caps are brought to a cap drop position and placed on cap seat members which have upper surfaces which correspond to the asymmetrical lower surfaces of the caps. As the caps are transported from the cap drop position to a delivery position, the cap seat members are rotated while the caps themselves are prevented from rotating, until the caps are aligned with and fitted into the cap seat members. The caps are thus brought to the delivery position with the caps in a known rotational orientation, and are then picked up and placed on the necks of the awaiting bottles.
However, not all caps are provided with irregular or asymmetrical lower surfaces which may be used to index or align the caps into a desired relative orientation. Accordingly, it is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus for mounting caps onto containers, which does not rely on using the lower surfaces of the caps for alignment.
It is becoming common practice, though, to provide frangible seals on caps or spouts for use on food or medicinal containers, or containers for household products. Such seals, in some cases, provide an element which may serve as a locator for placing the caps into a desired orientation. A further object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an apparatus which may utilize such projecting elements for aligning the caps.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in view of the present Specification, Claims and Drawings.